Wilde Things
by yannah.chan
Summary: It's been 6 months since the Night Howler mystery, and Judy and Nick are closer than ever. When Nick is suspected for a crime, his past comes back to haunt him. And to add to that Nick can't understand his feelings for Judy—he wants her, but more than a friend. And she wants him, but is in denial. Will their world fall apart? (Story better than summary, WildeHopps)
1. Chapter 1: Murder

**This is gonna be a real long chapter, even though it's the first one. I really hope you like it. Constructive criticism, reviews, follows, and favorites would be greatly appreciated. It may be a bit boring in the beginning, but it will get more fluffy with NickXJudy and interesting later in the chapter. I just loved the movie & WildeHopps so much! THIS STORY TAKES PLACE 6 MONTHS AFTER THE NIGHT HOWLER MYSTERY. The name is weird, so any title suggestions would be perfect XD I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I'M STILL TALKING, LET'S GET ON WITH THE STORY SHALL WE? (spoiler warning: don't read if you haven't watched the movie—no major spoilers, though.)**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Zootopia or any of it's characters. Disney does.**

* * *

Nicholas Piberius Wilde.

A sly, conniving fox with a dark past. Former con-artist. A predator. An expert at keeping his emotions hidden behind his infamous smirk and half-lidded stare. One who never truly cared about anyone, aside from his mother.

Until he met Judy Hopps.

 _ **-xxx-**_

Nick was not a morning person.

There was just something about mornings he detested. He disliked the fact of waking up early from his comfortable bed. He also disliked how messy and tired he looked like when he woke up. He disliked mornings.

He slowly rolled out of bed to take a shower. He made sure his fur was nice and clean, scrubbing it until it reached it's usual sheen. Soon, he got out, dried himself, and prepared his uniform. He shined his badge and placed it on his chest, puffing it out. He noticed the cologne he bought the other day on his bedside table and decided to spray it on himself. He walked to his mirror and got a good look at himself.

 _Ah. Looking very handsome, Officer Wilde,_ he thought smugly.

As usual, Nick brewed a cup of coffee, ate breakfast, and brushed his teeth. He slipped on his sunglasses and grabbed his phone. He opened up InstaGrowl and scrolled through its contents. He slowly but surely sauntered out of his apartment. When he got out, he saw Judy Hopps waiting for him in her car.

Once he got closer to her, he noticed Judy's contorted, impatient expression. Nick was late, and he was going to get in big trouble. He hurried to her car and slid into the passenger's side as slick as he could. Mustering a half smile, he said, "Hey, Cottontail! How's the weather treating ya?" Judy rolled her eyes. "You're 15 minutes late, Nick. Learn to get your lazy ass out of goddamn bed."

Nick mockingly flinched. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," he muttered. "Dumb fox..." Judy responded. She stepped on the gas pedal and drove them to work. Most of the car drive was silent, Judy highly concentrated on the road as she didn't want to run over any animals. Nick, as always, was scrolling through his phone.

The gray bunny suddenly sniffed rather loudly and spoke up. "What's that smell?" she asked.

Nick looked up at her and quirked a brow. "Does it smell good?" he responded, hoping it was his cologne. Judy leaned towards Nick and sniffed some more. Her face was so close to Nick's. He began fighting a blush. _She's too damn cute._

"It smells...real nice." she said.

Nick smirked and lowered his sunglasses. "It's just my sexy cologne," he said smugly. Judy giggled and shook her head. "Sexy?" Nick inwardly cheered. _One point for Nick!_

"What's the occasion?" Judy asked jokingly. "Just trying to smell as handsome as I physically look, ya know," he conceitedly answered. Judy rolled her eyes once again. They reached the Zootopia Police Department, and Judy parked her car.

"Well doesn't someone have a big ego," she retorted, hopping out of the car. Nick stepped out of the car and bent over so he was eye to eye with Judy.

"Oh, Carrots," he whispered in her ear, "that's not the only thing that big." He winked at her and strolled off.

He glanced back at a frozen Judy, who had a face redder than a tomato.

 _Two points for Nick._

* * *

"Hopps, Wilde! Report to my office immediately!"

Judy looked up from her paperwork and quickly hopped off her chair. Nick followed suit and headed towards Chief Walter Bogo's office. "I wonder why Chief Buffalo Butt needs us," Nick said. Judy shot him a look but said, "We'll see."

Once have arrived, Nick rapped on his office door. "Come in," Bogo said gruffly. They entered cautiously and sat on the two chairs offered to them. Well, in Judy's point of view, she had to climb up on the chair. "What's wrong, Chief?" she asked. Nick sat back and scrolled through his phone. Judy rolled eyes and punched his arm. "Focus, Wilde!"

"Ow!" Nick rubbed his arm and sat up, muttering something under his breath.

"Ahem."

They both whipped their heads toward Chief Bogo.

"Once you two are done arguing, there's an important matter we need to discuss," he said, giving them a hard glare. Judy flushed in embarrassment. "W-what's wrong, Chief?" she repeated.

Bogo pulled out a file.

"Officer Wilde, does the neighborhood labeled 'The Slums' seem familiar to you?" he asked. Nick winced, but didn't respond. Judy looked at him and saw pain flash in his eyes. She softly, "Nick..."

"Yea. Very familiar, Chief." he finally answered.

"Well, there were two murders yesterday," Chief Bogo said. "And some weasels happened to see a sketchy fox near where both murders happened. The witnesses described the suspect as a red fox with green eyes. Sound familiar?"

Judy and Nick's eyes widened. The bunny's face hardened. "Are you trying to say Nick is a suspect?" she asked. Bogo pinched the bridge of his muzzle and sighed.

"There are a couple suspects. It's just that Wilde happens to be one of them. Luckily enough, they won't be arrested or interrogated yet because they need a more...detailed description of the fox to find a better lead."

Nick glared at the ground. "Unbelievable. I would never do anything like that!" he said, a bit too harshly for Bogo's taste. "Wilde, I never said you did. It's just that we need to take precautions, you hear?" Bogo responded equally as harsh.

"Is it because I'm a fox?" Nick growled. Hurt was clearly displayed on his face.

Judy stared at him. "No, Nick. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"...your appearance fits the suspect's description! You're not dangerous, and I know you're a wonderful person. You didn't do anything!" she said, trying to believe herself. She was panicking inside like Nick. Taking in her comforting words, he calmed down momentarily.

She grabbed Nick's paw. Nick stared at her paw over his and basked in the moment. "I know for a fact that Nick didn't do anything! I will find the murderer and prove it!" Much to his disappointment, Judy let go of Nick's paw and snatched the file and opened it. It contained many paperwork, but two images stood out.

"Those are images of the victims. They're a bit graphic." Chief said, frustration clearly in his tone.

One image was of a cat, scratched and battered. Blood pooled around him with a wound—identical to a bullethole—straight through his stomach. Judy almost retched. "Sweet cheese n' crackers..." she whispered. Nick leaned over to see the picture and his fur bristled. He's seen far worse, but this was pretty bad.

Reluctantly, Judy pulled out the other image and studied it. The other image was of a wolf, battered, but covered with bitemarks instead of scratches. A very prominent bullethole was on his chest.

"Wh...who the hell would do those things?" Nick asked. "I've been asking myself the same question," the Chief said grimly. Judy and Nick just sat there, stunned at what they just saw.

"We got this, Sir. Y-You can count on us," Judy said. Though she tried to sound confident, she was highly unsure. Mind bombarded with questions and thoughts, she suddenly stood up and headed towards the door. "Come on, Nick."

Nick got up and glanced at Bogo. What was he to do? He was a crime suspect of two murders, and so many questions unanswered. His stomach was twisting in knots and fear. He turned and followed Judy, not looking back again. He closed the door.

The buffalo crossed his arms. "I have faith in you, Wilde."

* * *

 **Judy's Apartment**

Judy itched to find out what was about "The Slums" that made Nick so uncomfortable. And, she was still processing what went down in Chief's office. She rolled over, trying to find warmth in her cold bed. Everything was so silent. Her mind was racing.

Judy wasn't used to silence. Her neighbors from her old apartment were incredibly noisy, and she had gotten used to it. Even though she moved into her lively two bedroom apartment two weeks ago, she still couldn't take the quiet.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps. She sat up and reached for her taser and carrot pen—which were on her bedside table—and stuffed them in her pocket. Someone quietly knocked on her door. She slipped off her bed and warily walked towards her door.

Judy frowned and slowly looked through the peephole. She was surprised when she saw...

"Nick?"

She opened the door and let him in. He walked into her apartment and smiled sheepishly. "The one and only," he said. Judy swiftly turned on the lights. Nick blinked and shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness.

Closing the door, Judy said, "So, Mr. Wilde, what brings you here at..."—looking up her digital clock—"2:16 in the morning?" Nick looked away. The bunny noticed his face was more red than his usual red sheen.

 _Is he...BLUSHING?_ she thought, a giggle bubbling in her throat.

"I may have had a nightmare...soIgotscaredandIdidn'twanttosleepalonetonight.." Nick said quickly, slurring his words. Judy couldn't help but laugh. "Repeat it slower," she said. She grabbed her carrot pen and hid it behind her back.

"I had a nightmare, and I got scared so I didn't want to sleep alone. Happy?" he repeated, blushing furiously.

 _Click._

"I got scared so I didn't want to sleep alone," emitted from the carrot pen. Judy smiled mischievously. Nick's eyes widened. "Carrots...you didn't just do that."

"Oh, but I did, _sweetheart."_

"Gimme the pen."

"No."

Nick suddenly tackled her and started tickling her. Though it seemed impossible, they were having such good time they forgot about the murders and everything that happened in Bogo's office. "Give me the pen, you sly bunny!" he said, smiling. Judy laughed hysterically, trying to be as quiet as she could, as it was 2 in the morning. "Stop it!" she said, panting. Nick stopped momentarily, letting Judy get herself together.

"You sounded adorable. Let me keep it," she begged. Nick flushed, but soon smirked. "So I'm cute?" he asked.

It was Judy's turn to blush. "N-no! I didn't mean that...I-I.." she covered her face in embarrassment. _I'm so dumb,_ she thought. Nick pulled her paws away from her face. They stared at each other. What she would give to know what he was thinking right now.

"We should go to sleep now," Judy said, ruining the tender moment. She saw his ears droop in disappointment. Judy looked away and led his to the guest room. Before he could say anything, she ran to her room. She looked at her bed. "He didn't want to sleep alone..." she whispered to herself. Turning on her heel, she left her room as quickly as she came.

Without thinking, the bunny ran to the guest room and climbed up Nick's bed. She silently slid next to a—she thought—sleeping Nick. Suddenly his eyes flew opened and he saw her. Both of them reddened. Judy's heart rate picked up and her mind was racing, but soon went blank. All the drama earlier was momentarily forgotten. She could tell Nick's mind was filled with thoughts. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he shut it and grabbed Judy. He wrapped his tail and arms around her, smiling. _What am I doing...this feels really nice...oh, sweet cheese n' crackers..._

"Good night, Carrots."

Judy soon fell asleep in her best friend's arms.

* * *

 **HOLY GUACAMOLE! You read through the whole chapter! Yay! Hoped you liked the fluff at the ending. Question for next chapter: More romance or action? Or perhaps both? Okay...well byee! NOTE: the last part was more of Judy's POV than Nick's. Okay? Okay.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Slums

**Okay. Seriously, I was overwhelmed with the attention my story got. Thank you so much! Since it was requested, I'll add a fair amount of fluff and action. _The action is later in the chapter._ Note that they are really close friends right now, not dating. Also, I will work on my pacing. I just know that I may edit this chapter, as I'm not exactly the most satisfied with it yet. I'm not that much of an expert at writing, so hopefully you can cope with my mistakes. Without further ado, Chapter 2!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Zootopia or any of its characters. Disney does.**

* * *

 _Screams._

 _Living in such a dangerous area, Nick was used to yells and screams. But this time, something was off. Something was...different._

 _It was his mother's screams._

" _Mama!" Nick yelled as he ran as fast as he could towards his mother's screams. He opened their apartment door to find her mother on the floor. Her fur was matted with dirt and blood. A prominent bruise was on her muzzle. Bewildered and horrified, rushed to her side. His mother's eyes were closed. Nick shook her shoulders. "Wake up!" he said, tears in his eyes. Her breathing was shallow._

 _So many things were going on, and Nick didn't know what to do. A croak escaped his mother's throat. She shakily grabbed his paw. "Y-your...father."_

 _Once she said the words, Nick knew immediately that his father beat her. His vision turned red and tears finally spilled down his cheeks. He ran outside, calling for help._

 _He screamed his anger away. The words 'I hate my father' repeated in his buzzing mind._

" _Help! Please, help!"_

 _Soon, someone came and called the ambulance. Once they arrived, everything was hazy. Nick was angry, confused, and terrified._

 _People swarmed around his mother and placed her on a stretcher._

 _Nick, who's heart was beating out of his chest, ran towards his mother. "Mama!"_

 _The authorities pulled a crying Nick away, who was calling her name repeatedly._

 _And she never responded._

 _ **-xxx-**_

Nick woke up, his fur matted in cold sweat. He had the same nightmare as the night before. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. _Where am I?_

Realization washed over him. He was in Judy's apartment. Remembering what went on just hours ago, he buried his face in his hands then looked up. He glanced over at a sleeping Judy then at the digital clock on the bedside table. _5:10._ Sighing, he rolled over so he could get a good look at Judy's face.

 _Should I tell her about my dream?_

Nick shook his head and wrapped his arms around her and tried to forget the nightmare. He closed his eyes, and fell back into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Wake up, Wilde!"

Nick groaned. He didn't even bother to open his eyes. "Go away."

"No can do. You don't want to be late to work, do ya?" Judy asked, nudging him with her paw. Nick sighed and opened his eyes groggily only to find an overly optimistic bunny staring down at him. He put on his best charming look and begged, "Five more minutes."

Judy didn't fall for the look, and crossed her arms. "Nick, we have an important case to solve. Also, if you get that furry hind out of this bed, dinner's on me tonight." That was enough to get Nick out of bed and get ready for work.

"Anything for you, sir," Nick muttered sarcastically. Judy rolled her eyes and skipped to the kitchen to make some breakfast.

The fox reluctantly left the guest room and showered. A smirk was plastered on his face when he heard Judy upbeatedly sang "Try Everything" loudly. As he scrubbed his body, a little bit of him wished he could have recorded her. His mood went downhill soon, though, as his nightmare replayed in his head.

Once he got out many minutes later, he yelled, "Carrots! Did I happen to bring my uniform last night?" from the bathroom. No response. "Carrots?"

Nick walked out the bathroom and looked around for her. _Where is she?_ he thought, a small bubble of panic in his stomach. He began briskly looking everywhere in her little apartment and decided to call her. "I left my phone in the kitchen...I think."

Hoping to find his phone, he went over the kitchen. Instead of his phone, he found a note. It was covered in Judy's handwriting. "It's from Carrots.." he whispered. He picked up the note and read it.

 _Nick,_

 _Something important from work came up and I had to head straight there while you were showering. Your uniform is on the guest bed_ _because Finnick came here while you were sleeping and brought it here. Breakfast is on the kitchen counter._ _Oh, and your phone is with your uniform. After that, head straight to work ASAP._

 _Judy xx :)_

"I will always be amazed at how fast she can travel to places," he muttered. On his way towards his breakfast, he pondered on why he needed to go to work in such a hurry. _I wonder if it's about...the murder._ he thought nervously. A knot twisted in his stomach. He tried to shake off the thought and the questions that appeared in his head, but it remained nagging at him, even after he finished breakfast (blueberry pancakes and fried crickets)and put on his uniform. Grabbing his phone, he ran out of Judy's apartment towards his...car?

Wait.

He _walked_ to Judy's apartment.

That meant he doesn't have a car to get to work. And the Zootopia Police Station was not where you'd call "just around the corner". Nick facepawmed. "Time to take the bus."

* * *

"So, Hopps, where's your partner?"

Chief Bogo crossed his arms with a hard face. "It's been almost over 15 minutes." All the cops in the room looked at her and heard some whispers about "he's probably cheating on her," or "first time she isn't with Wilde." Judy slightly reddened but shook it off like dust. _He'll be here soon...I hope,_ she thought.

The bunny sat up straighter—though she was already very much upright—and said, "He'll arrive soon...he was just taking a while doing something, and I left without him." Snickers erupted throughout the room.

"Yea, she just left me alone to rot with no car," a voice came from the doorway. Judy recognized the voice immediately. She whipped her head towards the doorway, along with everyone else.

"Nick!"

Nick flashed Judy a toothy smirk saying, "The one and only." Chatter slightly arose, but Chief cleared his throat. The room fell silent. "Where have you been, Officer Wilde?" Bogo asked.

"Oh, my dearest Chief! Did you worry about poor old me?" Nick joked, sliding into the seat next to Judy. The room was filled with chuckles while Chief gritted his teeth. Judy shot Nick a look but he ignored it. "Someone left me without a car-"—he glanced at Judy—"-so I kind of had to walk to a bus station and take a slow damn bus." He gave the Chief a mocking smile and a lazy stare.

"I don't know why you're smiling, Wilde. If you haven't forgotten, there's been murder cases that need to solved and _I wonder_ who's one of the suspects," Bogo said with a burning glare. The whole room went silent.

Nick's smile disappeared immediately. A growl formed in his throat. He stood up from his chair and was about to retort back, but Judy put a hand on his shoulder, calming him down. He sat back down and remained silent. Judy frowned. _It wasn't right for Chief to say that.._ she said to herself. Time passed.

After roll call, Bogo assigned missions.

"McHorn and Francine! A weasel is causing disturbances downtown, find him." Bogo said gruffly. The elephant and rhinoceros got up and headed out to do their job.

"Hopps...Wilde. Go to the Slums, look for evidence and interrogate residents for valuable information," the buffalo said. Slowly, Judy nodded but Nick was already on his way out. She shot Bogo an apologetic look and chased after her partner.

* * *

The car ride to the Slums was silent. Judy parked her car and hopped out. Nick soon sided up next to her. They walked around. Homeless beggars were everywhere, and broken alcohol bottles and stubbed cigarettes laid around every corner. Many eyes were on the two officers. Both of them started sweating nervously and walked faster. They entered an alley, where one of the murders took place.

"Something about this place is fishy," Judy said. She warily placed a hand on her holster. Nick scoffed. "Ya think? I _lived_ here," he said. Judy stopped in her tracks. "Y...you lived here?" she asked, a shocked expression on her face. Nick rubbed the back of his neck. "Sadly, yes."

"So were the victims familiar to you?"

Nick frowned. He noticed her ears were up high and more alert than usual. "Yes..."

"Who were they to you?" Judy asked. Her expression was serious and even a bit hard. Nick furrowed his brows. _Is she suspicious?_ he wondered, feeling a sudden pang of betrayal and sadness. "They were just friends of my..." he swallowed uncomfortably, "my father.."

Judy's expression softened. They both knew Nick's father was a gambler that left the red-furred fox and his mother at a young age for a hooker he met at a club. And they both knew he was the reason behind his mother's almost death, and Nick would never forgive him for that. He was jailed for that reason, which in Nick's opinion, served him right. Judy wrapped her arms around him. Nick tensed at first, and let her embrace him. Silence.

"You're a great hugger. Are you this good in bed?" he asked jokingly. Judy punched him in the stomach.

"Ow!"

"Not the right time, dumb fox," Judy muttered. Nick chuckled.

"Does that mean your...father...knows the reason why his 'friends' were found dead?" she asked, pulling away. Nick shoved his paws in his pockets. "There's a possibility," he responded. Judy smiled as if they had a solid piece of evidence. "To his jail cell we go!" she said optimistically.

They walked out the alley, but was stopped by two cheetahs. One was dirty and had an overly used coat barely draped over his unusually positioned neck. The other one was the exact opposite. He had a more classy look, with sunglasses and a certain shimmer to his fur.

"What do you want?" Nick asked, rolling his eyes unprofessionally. Judy was about to say something, but shut her mouth.

Without a response, the dirty cheetah whipped out a gun and pointed it to Nick's head. Nick jumped and backed away, but the cheetah had a firm grip on his wrist.

"Okay, buddy, let's calm down and think this through," Nick said. Judy grabbed her gun and pointed it at the cheetah. "ZPD! Put the gun down!" she yelled. Nick looked at her. "Jud-"

"How can a stupid bunny taunt _us?"_ the clean cheetah purred. Nick got mad over this. "She's not a stupid bunny! She's and amazing and talented bunny if you ask me! Watch, she'll kick your guys' ass in seconds!" he spat.

Judy wanted to thank him for his cheesiness, but a cheetah swiftly grabbed her by her feet, and dangled her from it. The other cheetah cocked his gun.

"J-!" before Nick could fully say her name, Judy bit the cheetah's hand. Hard. The cheetah yelped, and she slipped from his grip. She was so fast and was a blur as she roundhouse kicked the cheetah's sunglasses off his face. She wrapped her legs around the cheetah's neck, choking him. She whipped her taser out and tazed him, backflipping off the cheetah. She watched him twitch, and his eyes rolled back.

The dirty cheetah and Nick were gaping at her. They gave each other shocked looks. None of them could deny that what just happened was pretty badass for a small bunny. "Dude, how..." the cheetah began, and Nick shrugged. "I don't know, buddy, I really don't."

The cheetah loosened his grip on Nick's wrist as he pointed his gun towards Judy. She widened her eyes.

Nick took this opportunity to kick the cheetah were the sun doesn't shine. "Sorry, pal," he said insincerely. He pulled his hand from the cheetah's grip. Judy pitched in quickly, and tazed the cheetah while he was yelling in pain. Soon, he collapsed and twitched. Two unconscious cheetahs lay on the floor.

The officers stood there, panting.

"Just another normal day," Nick remarked. "You could say that again," Judy responded. She walked over to the cheetahs and cuffed them. Nick threw them over his shoulder, and they made their way to their police car.

Once they stuffed the cheetahs into the car, Judy said, "After we interrogate these guys, we'll interrogate your father, then interrogate residents here." Nick gave her a look.

"Gee, Hopps, lots of interrogation," he mumbled. "Yea..." was her small response. They got into the car and drove towards the police department.

"I think that the cheetahs may have to do with the murder," Judy said out of the blue. Nick raised a brow. He knew Judy had a knack for cracking cases, but there was nothing familiar about those cheetahs. Judy noticed his skeptical look.

"I just have a feeling, okay? You'll see," she said. "Aren't you a smart bunny?" Nick said, giving her a lazy wink. Judy made a rough turn. 'Woah there, Carrots," Nick said. She was began saying something, but Nick's phone went off. She rolled her eyes. The fox looked at the caller's unfamiliar number and answered.

"Hello?"

Nick's eyes widened and Judy definitely noticed that. "Ni-"

"Mom?"

The bunny gasped in shock. _Mom?_

"Yes! It's me, Nick!" Nick was grinning like a child. That alone put a small smile on Judy's face. "I missed you so much, Mom!" They both waited for a response. He put her on speaker for both of them to hear.

"I've missed you too, baby! But I have bad n-news..." emitted from the other side. Nick and Judy gave each other a look. "What is it...?" Nick asked.

"Your dad gave me call-"

"Mom!"

"Let me finish."

"..."

"He gave me a call, and threatened me. He said he will find you, a-and—" the call cut off and ended. Judy's eyes widened. Nick's heart began pounding hard.

" _Mom?"_

* * *

 **If you disliked this chapter, tell me what I should change and I'll add those ideas to edit the chapter. :) I for one didn't really like this chapter...Anyway, this** **wasn't really a cliffhanger, but...you know. I won't update every day, but I will update when I can. Thank you for reading!**


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